Bleijie rape comments 'out of this world' says lawyer

Owen Jacques is an award-winning investigative journalist from Mackay, now based on the Sunshine Coast as APN Australian Regional Media’s Online News Editor. He has a strong background reporting on politics, business and breaking news. Owen has also specialised in resources reporting, which included a successful campaign to fight 100% fly-in, fly-out mining in rural Queensland towns.

UPDATE: AUSTRALIA's top civil rights advocate and expert on criminal law Terry O'Gorman has described Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie as being "in a different universe than the rest of us" after he said rape did not happen in adult prisons.

Speaking as Queensland Council of Civil Liberties vice-president, Mr O'Gorman said it was notorious among defence lawyers that sexual assaults in prison were commonplace.

Mr O'Gorman has worked as a criminal defence lawyer exclusively for 37 years.

"He is so far removed from jails in his lofty position as Attorney General that he is never going to know about sexual assault in jail unless it happens to one of his relatives," Mr O'Gorman said.

"Sexual assault occurs in prison in the same way it does in the wider community.

"That is, in circumstances where the perpetrators ensure they are not seen and where the perpetrators intimidate their victims to shut up and not complain.

"You quickly learn in jail that if you make a complaint, particularly about sexual assault, you will pay for it."

Mr Bleijie made the comments on ABC Coast FM yesterday in response to concerns by the National Commissioner for Children, Megan Mitchell, that 17-year-olds are at risk of being raped or harmed in adult jails.

"I reject your assertion that you just made that rape happens in jail - we have certain protections," he told the interviewer.

The comment came after the ABC played a portion of an interview with a 17-year-old who said he was raped and given a shot of heroin, almost causing an overdose.

Mr Bleijie admitted jails were not a nice place but maintained that 17-year-olds who did the crime should do the time.

When questioned again about his rape comments, Mr Bleijie said if rape was a problem in jails, he would be hearing more about it and it would be in the media.

"I don't commonly hear that. You have just played a sound bite from a 17-year-old who said he was raped..''

"There are adequate staff to ensure these sorts of things aren't happening.''

The comments have been shared across social networks, prompting angry and dismayed responses.